Political Perspective

SUBSTANCE is obviously more important than image, but image can be quite key too when it comes to public figures, for example how they deport themselves and how they come across to Namibians and the world at large.

Leaders who are active, lively, animated, charismatic and articulate have a far better chance of getting audience attention than those who are outwardly sedentary, inactive and torpid, and can hardly be described as an inspiration. In short: boring, and it would be difficult to elicit more than a yawn from those watching them, whether they speak sense or not.I REGRET to say that’s how our President, among others, tends to come across much of the time, especially when one watches him on television.OK, it’s an accepted fact that he’s no longer a spring chicken so to speak, nevertheless his phalanx of protocol, advisers etc, should be putting him in positions where he gives a good impression.I’m not singling out the President, but he’s the one we see visuals of most often.Those sit-down audiences he gives diplomats and others where everyone is slumped in big armchairs and looking, quite honestly, as if they couldn’t move if they wanted to, makes for excruciating viewing and additionally gives a very bad impression.And unfortunately, this has become a tendency, not only with the President, but with our Prime Minister and other political principals, that they sit down rather than stand up, looking smart, disciplined and in charge of the situation.It stands to reason that if the President, among others, is seeing visitors, that they will inevitably need to sit down to have discussions, but preferably out of view of the camera lens.When the cameras are turned on, there should be action of some sort, even if it is just handshaking and pleasantries.Witness other heads of state when the cameras are on.They are usually either standing or on the move.Even the US President, when he meets visiting heads of state and gives press briefings, is on his feet and alert and ready for the media onslaught.Here, most of the time, the politicians are inevitably sitting down, looking tired and bored even if they aren’t, or at best, standing on a podium at political rallies.Hardly ever do you see them moving in amongst the people and ‘doing’ things.Heaven forbid that you would see them exercising or jogging or engaged in some form of exercise, if they do so at all.The positive image that this conveys to the public cannot be over-emphasised.Especially, but not only with regard to television coverage.Television is, after all, a moving medium and there’s nothing worse than seeing the leaders of our society always ensconced on their backsides! What I’m talking about really, is the lack of energy and urgency in our society.The President does his token ‘people must work hard to make Namibia succeed’ speech but how much legitimacy can his appeal have when he’s not exhibiting a sense of urgency to get out and DO things.It’s up to the leaders of society to embody such urgency and hopefully it would be catching and the rest of Namibia could follow suit.I surely don’t have to reiterate the manifold examples of this lack of urgency, which permeates all sectors of our society.Go to whatever institution or organisation, or witness the civil service at work, and note the absolute lack of efficiency commitment.Overall we are rapidly gaining a reputation for inactivity and disinterest and a ‘don’t-care’ approach.And it is like a disease permeating our society and it drives ‘doers’ absolutely crazy to see this erosion of energy.One can’t help but notice the US presidential candidates on the campaign trail at present, and see the amount of time and hard slog and constantly being on the go that all of them embody.It puts us to shame, because most of our political leadership would surely perish in the process as they couldn’t take the pace! So I would sincerely suggest that the Office of the President and Parliament and all other senior Government officials be less preoccupied with their own importance (because apparently here if you have stature, inexplicably, you have to wear a suit and have to be sitting down!) and instead roll up their shirtsleeves and get moving! They should also ensure that the President is pictured in more positive poses, which would give the people of this country a sense of leadership and being in control.And then maybe, just maybe, people will take note and follow suit in all sectors of life in this country.—-In short: boring, and it would be difficult to elicit more than a yawn from those watching them, whether they speak sense or not.I REGRET to say that’s how our President, among others, tends to come across much of the time, especially when one watches him on television.OK, it’s an accepted fact that he’s no longer a spring chicken so to speak, nevertheless his phalanx of protocol, advisers etc, should be putting him in positions where he gives a good impression.I’m not singling out the President, but he’s the one we see visuals of most often.Those sit-down audiences he gives diplomats and others where everyone is slumped in big armchairs and looking, quite honestly, as if they couldn’t move if they wanted to, makes for excruciating viewing and additionally gives a very bad impression.And unfortunately, this has become a tendency, not only with the President, but with our Prime Minister and other political principals, that they sit down rather than stand up, looking smart, disciplined and in charge of the situation.It stands to reason that if the President, among others, is seeing visitors, that they will inevitably need to sit down to have discussions, but preferably out of view of the camera lens.When the cameras are turned on, there should be action of some sort, even if it is just handshaking and pleasantries.Witness other heads of state when the cameras are on.They are usually either standing or on the move.Even the US President, when he meets visiting heads of state and gives press briefings, is on his feet and alert and ready for the media onslaught.Here, most of the time, the politicians are inevitably sitting down, looking tired and bored even if they aren’t, or at best, standing on a podium at political rallies.Hardly ever do you see them moving in amongst the people and ‘doing’ things.Heaven forbid that you would see them exercising or jogging or engaged in some form of exercise, if they do so at all.The positive image that this conveys to the public cannot be over-emphasised.Especially, but not only with regard to television coverage.Television is, after all, a moving medium and there’s nothing worse than seeing the leaders of our society always ensconced on their backsides! What I’m talking about really, is the lack of energy and urgency in our society.The President does his token ‘people must work hard to make Namibia succeed’ speech but how much legitimacy can his appeal have when he’s not exhibiting a sense of urgency to get out and DO things.It’s up to the leaders of society to embody such urgency and hopefully it would be catching and the rest of Namibia could follow suit.I surely don’t have to reiterate the manifold examples of this lack of urgency, which permeates all sectors of our society.Go to whatever institution or organisation, or witness the civil service at work, and note the absolute lack of efficiency commitment.Overall we are rapidly gaining a reputation for inactivity and disinterest and a ‘don’t-care’ approach.And it is like a disease permeating our society and it drives ‘doers’ absolutely crazy to see this erosion of energy.One can’t help but notice the US presidential candidates on the campaign trail at present, and see the amount of time and hard slog and constantly being on the go that all of them embody.It puts us to shame, because most of our political leadership would surely perish in the process as they couldn’t take the pace! So I would sincerely suggest that the Office of the President and Parliament and all other senior Government officials be less preoccupied with their own importance (because apparently here if you have stature, inexplicably, you have to wear a suit and have to be sitting down!) and instead roll up their shirtsleeves and get moving! They should also ensure that the President is pictured in more positive poses, which would give the people of this country a sense of leadership and being in control.And then maybe, just maybe, people will take note and follow suit in all sectors of life in this country.—-